Rimholm University: Clandestine

[ III] Chapter 43

"You're graduating this year together with Julius and my brother, what's your plan next?" Salem asked Zachary while sitting casually on the branch. They're both watching Blizzard wear down those fishes that Zachary gave him.

"I'll do what's right," Zachary replied before tossing another fresh fish. He brings there three baskets of fish after they infiltrate the temple.

'What about Mira? She's two years late than you.' He shake off the thought and glanced at Salem before taking a piece secretly as if he were a thief sneaking at the shop.

"There's no point worrying about it, I'll make sure she'll be out of trouble even if I'm not around." Salem turned at the fish Zachary handed her than him with a grimace. She moved away, still, in disgust. Zachary laughed before pushing it closer to her, "Why? Don't you like it? I thought some birds eat a lot of fish."

"Do you want me to shove that to your face?"

"Oh, my apologies." The shifter put back the fish in the basket when he suddenly realized. At that very moment, Zachary is hoping that Salem's father is not mad at him at the moment even though Salem's father is a nice guy.

"So," Zachary changed our topic, "I guess, I'm going to miss those missions. There's no thrill in the imperial palace after all."

"You're going to face those papers for the whole day while silently preparing yourself in case a war occurs. Marriage proposals are also in your way." Salem threw a ring then creates a bow and arrow made up of blue flame and shoots the ring. Her arrow jabbed in the middle then it pierced through the tree before it falls to the ground.

"Right. I remember the days when I used to make paper planes from those. I also escaped from my window my tutors are knocking on my door. But I always ended up getting caught by my majesty." Zachary laughed at those reminisced memoirs of his childhood. There's no way a hide and seek or a tag exist after he leaves the university.

"Julius and my brother spoke up about this, they said you changed a lot after those months."

"What about you?"

"I don't care about you."

"Then die."

"You know I don't."

"Immortal child, did you stop aging?"

"So are you."

"Come on, I stopped aging when I was around 18. Did you?" Salem lifted her natural sharp gaze at Zachary and replied with a; "Not yet."

Zachary got attention and darted at Blizzard who cripples dried leaves as he moves. His wings brushed them off as if it were a tornado wiping out everything on its way, carrying unending terror to those who witnessed it.

"I know what do you want me to do," Salem stood up then walked to the edge before she turned at him once again, "Keep an eye on Gloucester, isn't it?"

"I was about to tell. But it happens that your wisdom foresees it." The man grinned.

"Let me ask you one thing, not as the crowned prince that I served nor a cousin but as my only friend." Salem took another step backward, causing the twig to snap, "What if I failed one day and my existence vanished like a small soap bubble?"

"Tch, I know you won't. Salem Midari Zenith might be the one and only lunatic Zenith of the bloodline. Comparable among those said pile of precious rocks with one damaged. She likes chaos and bloodbath but her loyalty is beyond it."

"Dude, you're also to those pile of precious rocks with one damaged. You're the only Levine who dared to do odd things. Odd things bring you thrill and would you stop? You're damn cheesy because you're having a favor."

"I'm not cheesy, I'm always nice."

"Haha, I'm not paid for this."

"I'm the one who's paying you."

"Your money comes from the royal fund, crowned prince."

"Levine and the people own it."

"I paid those bloody taxes."

"You are and I'm paying you properly."

"I know you did, I said to double it."

"You're speaking to the crowned prince, Zenith."

"And so?"

Zachary sighed, this is his only problem with her. Salem and her antics serve him nothing but get me roasted aside from receiving real burns. She's too straightforward on things. It's not only because she's a fire wielder, it's because she finds it fun. The current ruler--- Zachary's oldest sister finds it perfect for him to have Salem as his right hand. Zachary can't disagree when she told him that a lunatic will be a good wingman.

"Salem, you don't care about money after all. All you did is to lend the rest of it to your brother when you take enough of it. I can still recall what you did to the sack of gold when my majesty asked you to get rid of a minister of finance." Salem stared at him from head to toe before bursting out into laughter. Her laugh that even Mira agreed it was villainous.

'I bet even a demon will get also frightened.'

"The old hag tried to bribe me since he thinks he can wrap around his finger because I'm younger than expected. I didn't break a sweat, he likes tricky games, so am I." Zachary throws another fish to Blizzard, the dragon catches it and turned his back at him again.

"You're a lunatic indeed, Salem."

"Don't act like you're pure." She snapped the twig then allows it to burn on her touch and pointed the wood at Zachary, "I understand you are overprotective, it's normal for shifters but does keep in your mind, Mira Gloucester grew up in the human realm. She knew what danger is. Her father is also a knight, I can't see from any angle that she doesn't have any knowledge in combat. You have seen how she fights already."

"Crown prince, allow her to learn things around her. She's not a child. She survived years living there without inhaling air from this world. Do you think she's a weak pick me girl?"

'You speak farther than how old and who you are.'

"What is pick me girl?"

"The girl who acts as the main character and always acts cute but in reality they're just annoying shits."

"Staying in the human world for a short time makes you adapt things there."

"Answer my question first." Salem ground down the burned twig. Setting things different again. Shifting the playful atmosphere back to a serious and heavy one.

"You know I can't. She's too special for me. I can't afford her getting into things----"

"Mira Gloucester built different and I'm completely against your idea of keeping her under your pocket. You can't keep her being ignorant because one day she'll wake up from it and you can't control the time just to stop everything from happening. If she wants to be free, let her. If she wants to explore the world, let her but don't leave her side." She cuts him off, making Zachary crouch back, looks away.

"Let's be frank here, crowned prince. What Mira is to you?" Zachary clutched his sleeves when Salem's question repeats on his mind, deriving his heart to beat faster.

"Is she some sort of precious jewel to you? Trophy woman? A priced possession? If you treat women like that in greed, stay away from her." Salem added, eyeing Zachary narrowing, "Admitting that I got problems dealing with myself is a loss and somehow winning but I don't tolerate people who treated others like that. Even who you are, I don't care. In eyes of the judgments, there's no favor."

"She meant to be more than my life. I admit I got scared because I see this thing coming. It feels like I walked in a thin rope...I don't know what to do anymore. It's awful. I shouldn't allow her to join in the first place. I want to tell her the truth."

"Tell her if you got a chance. Some of us got the cog but not the sand."